Combined knife and fork



J. H. CRAWFORD.

COMBINED KNIFE AND FORK- RPPLICAIION FILED 05c. 20. I920.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

nrentar C]; 5 Chain/Hard.

UNITED STATES JAMES H. CRAWFORD, OF DEADWOOD, SOUTH DAKOTA.

COMBINED KNIFE AND FORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

Application filed December 20, 1920. Serial No. 431,991.

To 0:71 Wdflln if may; concern.

Be it known that I. JAMES H. CRAWFORD, a citizen of the United States. residing at Deadwood. in the county of Lawrence and State of South Dakota. have invented ccr tain new and useful improvements in Colobined Knives and Forks. of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to cutlery and more particularly to a combined knife and fork especially designed for use by soldiers, campers, travelers and others in lieu of the ordinary knife and fork.

The object of the invention is to provide a comparatively simple and thoroughly sanitary device of this character. the parts of which may he compactly assembled so as to permit the device to be conveniently carried in the pocket without liability of exposing the cutting edge of the knife or offering any surface obstruction which would tend to catch in the pocket and tear or otherwise injure the clothing.

The invention further aims to provide a combined knife and fork including coactingmembers each provided with a handle having a. terminal retaining flange or lip spaced laterally therefrom to form a pocket for the reception of the active end of the adjacent member, said members being scparal'ile laterally so as to permit of their individual use when desired.

The invention further contemplates forming both the knife and fork in such a mannor that each may be stamped from single sheet of metal and. to so shape the parts that they will present a syu'unctrical appearance when either assembled or separated.

further object is to provide a flat metal fork the tines of which are bowed laterally to increase the servireability of the Fork and also to cause the tines to frictionally engage the retaining lip of the knife and thus prevent accidental separation of the parts when assembled.

A still further object of theinveniion is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility. durability and efiioiency.

In the aoompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combined knife and fork embodying the present invention showing the elements in assembled position;

Fig. 2 is a. longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a. perspective view of the knife and fork detached or separated.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The device comprises two articles of utility .one of which is preferably in the form of a knife 5, and the other in the form of a fork indicated at 6. Each article is preferably stamped or otherwise formed from a. single sheet of flat metal, the fork 6 being provided at one end thereof with a handle 7 and at its opposite ends with spaced tines 8. The knife 5 is also provided at one end thereof with a handle 9 similar in construction to the handle 6, and at its opposite end one longitudinal edge oftho knife is inclined or beveled to form a cutting edge 10 which preferably extends around the point of the knife as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The metal at the end of the handle of each member isbent or folded upon itself to form an overhanging retaining lip 11. which is spaced laterally from the side face of the handle toform a pocket 12 for the reception of the active end of the adjacent member when said members are assembled. The opposite longitudinal edges of the members 5 and (S are preferably curred inwardly as indicated at 13 to form a reduced neck so as to permit said membors to b conveniently grasped in the hand when using the same. The tines 8 are preferably bowed or bentlaterally as indicated at i4 so as to increase the holding capacity of the fork and consequently its scrviceability. The lips 11 are preferably resilient so that when the members I and 6 are assembled in the manner-shown in Fig. l of the drawings said lips will frictionully engage the active ends of the members and hold them from accidental separation. It will here be noted that by having the tines bowed outwardly as indicated at 14 not only will the holding capacity of the fork be increased but said tines will frictionally engage the adjacent retaining lip 11 and fur ther assist in preventing accidental separation of the members.

It will thus be seen that by grasping the device at the contracted portion 13 thereof and exerting a. slight lateral pressure on the members 5 and 6 said members may be separated and in which position they may be used in the ordinary manner. In order to assemble said members it is merely neces sary to insert the active end of the knife 5 beneath the spring lip ll of the fork 6 and the tines Fl beneath the spring lip of the knife 9 and press laterally on said members, thereby causing the same to assume the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. and in which position they may be conveniently carried in the pocket. The knife blade 5 is preferably of slightly less width than the handle 7 of the fork so that when the members 5 and 6 are assembled the handle 7 of the fork will form a guard or protection for the cutting edge 10 of the knife and permit the device to be conveniently handled without cutting or otherwise lacerating the hand of the user. It will furthermore be noted that inasmuch as the members are free from surface projections liability of the parts catching in the pocket and tearing or otherwise injuring the clothing is reduced to a minimum. While I have shown two articles of utility embodied in the present invention one of which is a knife and the other a fork, it will, of course be understood that a spoon or other desired implement may be substituted for either the knife or fork if found desirablewithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

It will furthermore be understood that the devices may be made in different sizes and shapes and nickeled japanned or otherwise coated so as to give them a neat attractive appearance.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1, A device of the class described including articles of utility of equal length each having one end thereof provided with means adapted to engage the opposite end of an adjacent article for holding the articles in assembled position.

2. A device of the class described including coacting articles of utility each provided with a handle having a terminal overhanging lip extending entirely across the some and spaced laterally therefrom to form a pocket for the reception of the opposite end of a mating article.

3. A device of the class described including coacting articles of utility each having a that handle terminating in an overhanging resilient retaining lip of the same width as the handle and adapted to frictionally engage the adjacent end of the mating article for holding said articles in assembled position, said articles being separable laterally to permit the individual use thereof.

4. A device of the class described including coacting articles of utility each having its'intermediate portion reduced and one end thereof fiat to form a handle terminating in an overhanging resilient retaining lip of the same width the handle and adapted to frictionally engage the opposite end of an adjacent article for holding the articles in assembled position.

5. A device of the class described including coacting articles of utility, one of which is provided with a knife edge and the other with tines constituting a fork, each article being formed with a handle having an overhanging retaining lip of the same width as the handle and adapted to engage the active end of the mating article for holding said articles in assembled position, said articles being separable laterally to permit the individual use thereof.

6. A device of the class described including coacting articles of utility of equal length, one of said articles being provided with laterally bowed tines constituting a fork and having a flat handle, the end of which is bent upon itself to form an overhanging retaining lip coextensive with the width of the handle, the other article being provided with a knife edge and a handle the end of which is bent to form an overhanging retaining lip of the same width as the firstmentioned lip, the Ii 3 on the handle of the knife being adapts to bear against the outer faces of the tines of the fork and. the lip on the handle of the fork being adapted to frictionally engage the active end of the kn fe when said articles are assembled.

'7. A device of the class described includ ing courting articles of utility each including a service portion and a handle portion, the, handle portion of each article being bent upon itself to form an overhanging retaining lip coextensive with the width thereof and adapted to frictionally engage the service portion of the adjacent article when the articles are assembled, said articles being separable laterally to permit individual use thereof.

8. A device of the class described includ ing articles of utility of the same length adapted to lie flat one upon the other when in assembled position and each including a handle portion and a service portion. the handle portion of one of the articles being bent in one direction to form an overhang. ing retaining lip and the handle portion of the other article being bent in the opposite direction to form a similar retaining lip.

each lip being coextensive in width with the adjacent handle portion. the lip on the handle of one article being adapted to friction-ally engage the service end of an adjacent article when said articles are assembled and said articles being separable laterally to permit individual use thereof.

9. A device of the class described including coacting articles of utility, one of which is provided at one end thereof with a handle and at its opposite end with spaced tines constituting a fork. the other aitiele being provided at one end thereof with ii h-(indle and having its other end of less Width than the handle of the fork and beveled to form a cutting edge, the free end of the handle of each member being bent to form an overhanging retaining lip extending entirely m'inss said handle, one of said lips hein i adapted to engage the tines and the other the reduced portion at the knife edge, the 10 handle of the fork forming a guard for the knife edge when the articles are assembled. In testimonv whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES H. CRAWFORD. 1 3. 

